Zoochat Big Year 2023

birdsandbats said:
You have no idea how jealous I am of that stupid rail. That is one of hardest ABA-area bird species to find and that fact that you got (presumably) decent views is incredible. I've looked for this species many times during migration, and have managed to be within a few feet on calling birds, and even managed to get a first county record along the way. But I still have not seen one, a very frustrating life list gap indeed.
Click to expand...

This is definitely the best view of a non-captive rail I've ever had (not including coots, gallinules, swamphens..). I was actually on my way to visit the Beardsley Zoo when I saw the alert come in and I knew we had to turn around to chase it as this is not a bird I expect to ever lay eyes on again.

I have a photo of the bird with the rehabber who came to collect it that I'll post. I arrived pretty much as she was moving in to collect the rail so my views of it wild were brief and no photos of that.

What are the odds that such a rarity would show up at the apartment complex of a birder who could share it quickly with everyone else!

~Thylo
 
OboeKade said:
Excruciatingly hot Texas summer has made birdwatching during the day fairly dangerous, and I'm limited to morning/evening excursions. Lifers have slowed down for me, but I'm still seeing a ton of species daily! And I did end up getting those binoculars. ;)

132. Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis)
133. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)
134. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
135. Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva)
136. Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
137. Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)

All of these found, of course, on the old golf course behind my home.
Click to expand...
A few updates as things have started to cool down (a bit!):

BIRDS
138. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
139. Canyon Wren (Catharpes mexicanus)
140. Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum)
141. Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)
142. Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum)
143. White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)
144. Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia)
145. Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
146. Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)
147. Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

MAMMALS
3. North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
4. Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
5. Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
6. Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
7. Coyote (Canis latrans)
8. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
 
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I am currently enrolled in a marine biology course at school, where we primarily focus on and study ecosystems and biodiversity in the ocean. Today, we took an all-day field trip to the nearby beach, where we spent our time catching multiple species of fish and invertebrates. Except for the puffer, everything listed below was taken back with us to the classroom where we will be taking care of them for the next few months.


9/19/23

Fish:

1. Northern Puffer (Phoeroides maculatus)
2. Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides)
3. Atlantic Silverside (Menidia menidia)
4. Silver Jenny (Eucinostomus gula)


BerdNerd said:
9/3/23

14. Eastern Yellow Jacket (Vespula maculifrons)
Click to expand...


9/19/23

15. Atlantic Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus)
16. Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)
17. Mud Fiddler Crab (Minuca pugnax)
18. White Shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus)
19. Atlantic Ghost Crab (Ocypode quadrata)


Total:

Mammals: 14
Birds: 115
Reptiles: 10
Amphibians: 7
Fish: 4
Invertebrates: 19
 
ThylacineAlive said:
As mentioned in my last post nearly a month ago, migration has been in full swing in CT for a while now. Unfortunately, I have found myself seemingly "birded out" following my adventures in Kenya. I think I'm finally getting past my post-trip fatigue, however, with a special rarity on Saturday motivating me to finally get back out there. Since then, I've gone birding on Sunday and again today but unfortunately for me, it does seem as though I'm about a week late and the vast majority of the shorebirds and warblers that have been being reported have all passed me by. Regardless, it's still been good to get outside again.

Saturday
676) Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis

The rail is an interesting case. They're a species that spends their summers in Canada and the far north US, particularly in the Midwest. During winters, they live along the US Gulf Coast and the southern Atlantic US states. During migration, they are typically found within midwestern states, and are very rarely seen in the northeastern US. Yet, on Saturday morning, one was spotted walking around the parking lot of an apartment complex. Stranger still, the bird remained out in the open within the lawn out behind the building for much of the day. It's possible the bird had struck a window, or was injured in some other way, but it behaved normal and alert other than its position out in the open. Regardless, a rehabber was eventually called and the bird was taken into care, though her on-site assessment was that the bird seemed fine.

Tuesday
677) Broad-Winged Hawk Buteo platypterus

As we speak, literal thousands of Broad-Winged Hawks are moving through CT at the moment. Yesterday, over 10,000 were recorded by birders between a few sites. Today, numbers are already around 6,000.

~Thylo
Click to expand...

Looks like I jumped the fun on today's post! As I was downloading my rail photo to my laptop, got word of a small mixed flock of migrating shorebirds which popped up nearby.

678) White-Rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis
679) Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii

There was also a bird that was a possible Western Sandpiper, but not sure one way or another.

~Thylo
 
Birds

340 Flammulated Owl
341 Northern Goshawk
342 White Winged Crossbill
343 American Three Toed Woodpecker
344 Williamsons Sapsucker
345 Black Swift
346 Tundra Swan
347 Black Rosy Finch
348 Canada Jay
349 Boreal Owl
350 Curve Billed Thrasher
351 Semipalmated Sandpiper
352 White Tailed Ptarmigan
353 Common Tern
354 Pectoral Sandpiper
355 Sabine's Gull

Been birding the Uintas in Utah pretty heavily. The Boreal Owl and Ptarmigan being the two highlight lifers. The Curve Billed Thrasher was a crazy twitch out near the Salt Flats.
 
Giant Eland said:
Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while since my last update. In June, I was lucky enough to be a tour leader for a Javan Rhino safari book-ended by stops in Singapore and Mainland Malaysia. Unfortunately, the safari was cut short due to unforeseen circumstances. Even in our limited time at the park, we managed to see Rhino evidence on most days ranging from fresh footprints, dung floating in the river, a Rhino crashing through the brush, and two Rhinos calling to each other in the night. Sadly no official sightings though. Luckily plenty of other mammals kept me busy throughout the trip.

As always wild lifers in bold.

Brooklyn, NY:
97. Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus (May 2)
98. House Mouse, Mus musculus (May 4)

Singapore:
99. Common Tree Shrew, Tupaia glis (May 29)
100. Southeast Asian Palm Civet, Paradoxurus musangus
101. Malayan Colugo, Galeopterus variegatus
102. Banded Pig, Sus scrofa vittatus
103. Lesser Mouse Deer, Tragulus kanchil
104. Malayan Sambar Deer, Rusa unicolor equina
105. Raffles' Banded Langur, Presbytis femoralis (May 30)
106. Plantain Squirrel, Callosciurus notatus
107. Smooth-coated Otter, Lutrogale perspicillata
108. Slender Squirrel, Sundasciurus tenuis
109. Crab-eating Macaque, Macaca fascicularis
110. Lesser Short-nosed Fruit Bat, Cynopterus brachyotis
111. Indomalayan Lesser Bamboo Bat, Tylonycteris fulvida
112. Malayan Greater Bamboo Bat, Tylonycteris malayana
113. Cave Nectar Bat, Eonycteris spelaea

Java:
114. Large Flying Fox, Pteropus vampyrus (Jun 1)
115. Javan Mouse Deer, Tragulus javanicus (Jun 2)
116. Black Giant Squirrel, Ratufa bicolor
117. Black-striped Squirrel, Callosciurus nigrovittatus
118. Javan Tree Shrew, Tupaia javanica
119. Javan Mongoose, Urva javanica
120. Asian House Shrew, Suncus murinus (Jun 3)
121. West Javan Langur, Trachypithecus mauritius (Jun 6)
122. Javanese Flying Squirrel, Iomys horsfieldii
123. Lesser False Vampire Bat, Megaderma spasma (Jun 10)

Malaysia:
124. White-thighed Surili, Presbytis siamensis (June 13)
125. Grey-bellied Squirrel, Callosciurus caniceps
126. Black-bearded Tomb Bat, Taphozous melanopogon
127. Malayan Civet, Viverra tangalunga
128. Annandale's Rat, Sundamys annandalei
129. Malayan Woolly Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus morio
130. Southern Pig-tailed Macaque, Macaca nemestrina (Jun 14)
131. Dusky Leaf Monkey, Trachypithecus obscurus
132. Sunda Slow Loris, Nycticebus coucang
133. Mainland Leopard Cat, Prionailurus bengalensis
134. Gray Tree Rat, Lenothrix canus
135. Prevost's Squirrel, Callosciurus prevostii (Jun 15)

Hyde Park, Vt:
136. Woodchuck (Jul 22)
Click to expand...

Hello all!

A few weeks ago we took a family trip to Iceland and Denmark and I managed a few additions, including increasing my daughter's wild mammal total to 10!

Reykavik Whale Watch, Iceland:
137. Harbour Porpoise, Phocoena phocoena (Aug 31)
138. White-beaked Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris

Jægersborg Dyrehave, Denmark:
139. Red Deer, Cervus elaphus (Sep 6)
140. European Fallow Deer, Dama dama
141. Sika Deer, Cervus nippon (introduced)

And that will be my final update before an upcoming trip to a very special island nation...
 
Bisonblake said:
I joined my school's birding club, and today was our first outing of the year. We went to a marsh about 20 minutes north of campus. At the start of the hike, there was a pair of American kestrels on the power lines. Things went slow after that until we found a small flock of warblers along the forest edge. When we reached the water, there was a lot more activity with a variety of waterfowl. There was also an olive-sided flycatcher, a rare bird for the county.

After I hit 100 species in the year, I'm satisfied anytime I see one new species to add to my list. Seeing seven new species today definitely made it a great outing despite the slow start.

9/17/23
Birds:
115. American kestrel Falco sparverius
116. Black-throated green warbler Setophaga virens
117. Northern parula Setophaga americana
118. Olive-sided flycatcher Contopus cooperi
119. Pied-billed grebe Podilymbus podiceps
120. Trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator
121. Green-winged teal Anas crecca

Total Species: 149
Birds: 121
Mammals: 16
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
Click to expand...
I went back to the fields south of campus to look for the two other rare birds I couldn't find last Thursday. I was able to find a buff-breasted sandpiper, but not the American golden plover. I only saw 10 species, but there were a lot of species that I don't see often. Anytime I thought of leaving something interesting showed up.

9/22/23
122. American pipit Anthus rubescens
123. Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis
124. Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna

Total Species: 152
Birds: 124
Mammals: 16
Herptiles: 10
Fish: 2
 
birdsandbats said:
I thought that Flame-colored Tanager from back in spring would be the craziest vagrant I was in Wisconsin this year. I was wrong.

Birds
246. American Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
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It is insane that they made their way all the way to lake Michigan. I've been holding out hope an individual will make its way to Central Illinois ever since I heard about the ones in Ohio.
 
CMP said:
Mammals
I think my numbering was off- here are the last few entries
19. Coyote (Canis latrans)
20. American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
21. Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) (Lifer)​


Birds
Two very nice fall migrant warblers at Busey Woods, including a lifer, Aug 27 2023
236. Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) (Lifer)
237. Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis)
​
This individual had been hanging around Moorman for a while, but was evading me of a decent look. Finally got some undisputable pictures, Aug 29 2023
238. White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) (Lifer)​

Insects/Inverts
253. Hump-backed beewolf (Philanthus gibbosus)
255. Orange-legged furrow bee (Halictus rubicundus) (Lifer)
255. European drone fly (Eristalis arbustorum)
256. Blue-winged scoliid wasp (Scolia dubia) (Lifer)
257. Spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata)
258. Scissor grinder (Neotibicen pruinosus)
259. Chickweed geometer moth (Haematopis grataria)
260. Thick-legged hover fly (Syritta pipiens)
261. Spotted grass moth (Rivula propinqualis)
262. Red-fringed emerald (Nemoria bistriaria) (Lifer)​
Click to expand...
Last night (Well at 12am today, really) I drove home from an event on campus. I'd heard about (And smelled) skunks around the farms south of campus before, but have never saw one. After years of driving through the area at night, I suppose taking a slightly different road a bit later into the night meant I was finally able to see one of my most wanted local mammals.

I could clearly see the Mustelid connection when I saw the profile of what looked like a cross between a badger and an otter dart across the street, a little surprised with how large it was. I drove slowly past the bouncing streak of white as it slowly faded into the darkness of the field.

Mammals
On 1st St. next to the ARC, UIUC campus, Sep 23
22. Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) (Lifer)​

Fish
Schroeder Nature Preserve, McLean Co., July 18
9. Creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus)​

Insects/Inverts
263. Ferruginous carpenter ant (Camponotus chromaiodes) (Lifer)
264. Great spreadwing (Archilestes grandis)
265. Bicolored pyrausta moth (Pyrausta bicoloralis) (Lifer)
266. Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina)
267. Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus) (Lifer)
268. Black-and-gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus)
269. Stilt-legged fly (Rainieria antennaepes)
270. Greenhouse camel cricket (Tachycines asynamorus)
271. Brown wasp mantidfly (Climaciella brunnea)​
 
CMP said:
It is insane that they made their way all the way to lake Michigan. I've been holding out hope an individual will make its way to Central Illinois ever since I heard about the ones in Ohio.
Click to expand...
Not only that, Wisconsin just got a SECOND record of a single individual along the Fox River in Menasha, significantly further north than these Port Washington ones.
 
WalkingAgnatha said:
Do you plan on doing a write-up for it?
Click to expand...
Chlidonias said:
I was thinking about it - would anyone really want to read a tale of woe and misery though? Not sure where I'd put it either, there isn't a Vanuatu or general Pacific Islands forum.
Click to expand...
MRJ said:
I think we can all learn from tales of woe and misery. Seriously, in many fields people trumpet their successes when it is the failures that lessons can be learnt from.
Click to expand...
Trip thread for Vanuatu. Don't say you weren't warned...
https://www.zoochat.com/community/threads/chlidonias-versus-vanuatu.488645/
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
A mid-year update from me. Lots of new birds from out west near Oakey, just around Toowoomba. My first wild cockatiels [Cockatiel - ZooChat] and musk lorikeets [Musk Lorikeet - ZooChat] were particular highlights and were very easy to find in the town’s centre as more western birds are pushed east as it dries out inland. For a couple of years, I’ve been chasing records of Cotton Pygmy-Geese [Cotton Pygmy-Goose - ZooChat] ; one of Australia’s more elusive waterfowl species and finally saw no less than five of them across two locations. I’ve also had three wild koala [Koala - ZooChat] sightings this year which is three more than last year as well. Other targets like Common Bronzewing [Common Bronzewing - ZooChat] and Sooty Oystercatcher were pleasingly ticked off the list as well. Invert #183 has been the notable one as an incredibly large ant species with jaws to match.

Mammals
11) Koala Phascolarctos cinereus

Birds
163) Black Kite Milvus migrans
164) Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata
165) Common Blackbird Turdus merula
166) Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
167) Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides
168) Regent Bowerbird Sericulus chrysocephalus
169) Speckled Warbler Pyrrholaemus sagittatus
170) Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris
171) Musk Lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna
172) Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus
173) Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus
174) Yellow-billed Spoonbill Platalea flavipes
175) White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus penicillatus
176) Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
177) Western Gerygone Gerygone fusca
178) Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris
179) Australian Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon macrotarsa
180) Dusky Honeyeater Myzomela obscura
181) Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus
182) Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera
183) Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax
184) Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus
185) Beach Stone-Curlew Esacus magnirostris
186) Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus
187) Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
188) Cotton Pygmy-Goose Nettapus coromandelianus
189) White-eared Monarch Carterornis leucotis
190) Nankeen Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus

Herptiles
21) Scute-snouted Calyptotis Calyptotis scutirostrum
22) Great Barred Frog Mixophyes fasciolatus

Invertebrates
179) Compressed Fiddler Crab Tubuca coarctata
180) Bag-shelter Moth Ochrogaster lunifer
181) Maroon Mangrove Crab Parasesarma messa
182) Harlequin Hibiscus Bug Tectocoris diophthalmus
183) Giant Bulldog Ant Myrmecia brevinoda
184) Polistes humilis [paper wasp]
185) Tenagogerris euphrosyne [water strider]
186) Dingy Grass-Skipper Timoconia peron
187) Two-spotted Line-Blue Nacaduba biocellata
188) CommonTwo-tailed Spider Tamopsis brisbanensis
189) Crotalaria Pod Borer Argina astrea
Click to expand...
The start of spring has provided a productive few weeks. My targeted visits to hotspots outside of Brisbane have given me an opportunity to gain a broader picture of some of the local wildlife. Whiptail Wallaby [https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/whiptail-wallabies.681894/] and Wonga Pigeon [https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/wonga-pigeon.681888/] were highlights of my first ever visit to Lamington National Park in particular; a spectacular must-see destination. Back to Toowoomba, a quartet of Powerful Owls [https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/powerful-owl-chick.674915/] represented my first wild owls of any kind and a few western fairywrens have bolstered the list. Waders are starting to pick up gradually as they arrive from the Northern Hemisphere with sightings earlier than usual including my first snipes today. A trip to the Sunshine Coast added Radjah Shelduck and several quality reptiles and inverts especially.

Mammals
12) Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
13) Whiptail Wallaby Macropus parryi

Birds
191) Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla
192) Fuscous Honeyeater Lichenostomus fuscus
193) Eastern Shrike-tit Falcunculus frontatus
194) White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris niger
195) Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura
196) White-winged Fairywren Malurus leucopterus
197) Purple-backed Fairywren Malurus assimilis
198) Powerful Owl Ninox strenua
199) Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans
200) Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
201) Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca
202) Radjah Shelduck Radjah radjah
203) Wompoo Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus magnificus
204) Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis
205) Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes
206) Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida
207) Latham’s Snipe Gallinago hardwickii

Herptiles
23) Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard Tiliqua scincoides
24) Green Tree Snake Dendrelaphis punctulatus
25) Major Skink Bellatorias frerei
26) Yellow-faced Whipsnake Demansia psammophis

Invertebrates
190) Dainty Grass-Blue Zizula hylax
191) Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona
192) Boatman Fly Pogonortalis doclea
193) Yellow-banded Ichneumon Wasp Echthromorpha agrestoria
194) Glistening Line-Blue Sahulana scintillata
195) Garden Bermius Bermius brachycerus
196) Phrynocaria gratiosa [lady beetle]
197) Daerlac apicalis [seed bug]
198) Glistening Pencil-Blue Eirmocides absimilis
199) Long-tailed Pea-Blue Lampides boeticus
200) Venatrix furcillata [wolf spider]
201) Stable Fly Stomoxys calcitrans
202) Notarcha aurolinealis [moth]
203) Blue Riverdamsel Pseudagrion microcephalum
204) Zebra Top Snail Austrocochlea porcata
205) Striped-legged Hermit Crab Clibanarius taeniatus
206) Regent Skipper Euschemon rafflesi
207) Children’s Stick Insect Tropidoderus childrenii
208) Lydia Lichen Moth Asura lydia
209) Blue Blubber Catostylus mosaicus
210) Long-nosed Lycid Beetle Porrostoma rhipidium
211) Philobata curvilinea [concealer moth]
212) Notius consputus [stink bug]
213) Long Broad-headed Bug Mutusca brevicornis
214) Stathmopoda megathyma [curved-horn moth]
215) Metasia tiasalis [pearl moth]
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
The start of spring has provided a productive few weeks. My targeted visits to hotspots outside of Brisbane have given me an opportunity to gain a broader picture of some of the local wildlife. Whiptail Wallaby [https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/whiptail-wallabies.681894/] and Wonga Pigeon [https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/wonga-pigeon.681888/] were highlights of my first ever visit to Lamington National Park in particular; a spectacular must-see destination. Back to Toowoomba, a quartet of Powerful Owls [https://www.zoochat.com/community/media/powerful-owl-chick.674915/] represented my first wild owls of any kind and a few western fairywrens have bolstered the list. Waders are starting to pick up gradually as they arrive from the Northern Hemisphere with sightings earlier than usual including my first snipes today. A trip to the Sunshine Coast added Radjah Shelduck and several quality reptiles and inverts especially.

Mammals
12) Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
13) Whiptail Wallaby Macropus parryi

Birds
191) Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla
192) Fuscous Honeyeater Lichenostomus fuscus
193) Eastern Shrike-tit Falcunculus frontatus
194) White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris niger
195) Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura
196) White-winged Fairywren Malurus leucopterus
197) Purple-backed Fairywren Malurus assimilis
198) Powerful Owl Ninox strenua
199) Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans
200) Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
201) Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca
202) Radjah Shelduck Radjah radjah
203) Wompoo Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus magnificus
204) Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis
205) Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes
206) Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida
207) Latham’s Snipe Gallinago hardwickii

Herptiles
23) Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard Tiliqua scincoides
24) Green Tree Snake Dendrelaphis punctulatus
25) Major Skink Bellatorias frerei
26) Yellow-faced Whipsnake Demansia psammophis

Invertebrates
190) Dainty Grass-Blue Zizula hylax
191) Scarlet Jezebel Delias argenthona
192) Boatman Fly Pogonortalis doclea
193) Yellow-banded Ichneumon Wasp Echthromorpha agrestoria
194) Glistening Line-Blue Sahulana scintillata
195) Garden Bermius Bermius brachycerus
196) Phrynocaria gratiosa [lady beetle]
197) Daerlac apicalis [seed bug]
198) Glistening Pencil-Blue Eirmocides absimilis
199) Long-tailed Pea-Blue Lampides boeticus
200) Venatrix furcillata [wolf spider]
201) Stable Fly Stomoxys calcitrans
202) Notarcha aurolinealis [moth]
203) Blue Riverdamsel Pseudagrion microcephalum
204) Zebra Top Snail Austrocochlea porcata
205) Striped-legged Hermit Crab Clibanarius taeniatus
206) Regent Skipper Euschemon rafflesi
207) Children’s Stick Insect Tropidoderus childrenii
208) Lydia Lichen Moth Asura lydia
209) Blue Blubber Catostylus mosaicus
210) Long-nosed Lycid Beetle Porrostoma rhipidium
211) Philobata curvilinea [concealer moth]
212) Notius consputus [stink bug]
213) Long Broad-headed Bug Mutusca brevicornis
214) Stathmopoda megathyma [curved-horn moth]
215) Metasia tiasalis [pearl moth]
Click to expand...
Congratulations on the powerful owls, that is one species I have been looking forward to without luck so far.
 
DesertTortoise said:
Birds
August
162. Scissor-tailed flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)
163. Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

Mammals
August
12. House mouse (Mus musculus)

Herps
August
19. Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus)
20. Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)

Fish
August
16. Tadpole madtom (Noturus gyrinus)

Invertebrates
71. Picnic beetle (Glischrochilus fasciatus)
72. Red-winged tritoma (Tritoma sanguinipennis)
73. Spined micrathena (Micrathena gracilis)
74. North American wheel bug (Arilus cristatus)
75. Yellow-legged mud-dauber wasp (Sceliphron caementarium)
76. Carolina sphinx (Manduca sexta)
77. North American luna moth (Actias luna)
78. Two-spotted longhorn bee (Melissodes bimaculatus)
Click to expand...
Birds
September
164. Common gallinule (Gallinula galeata)
165. Least bittern (Ixobrychus exilis)
166. Sora (Porzana carolina)
167. Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)
168. Sedge Wren (Cistothorus stellaris)
169. Virginia rail (Rallus limicola)
170. Merlin (Falco columbarius)

Herps
September
21. Rough greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus)

Fish
September
17. White bass (Morone chrysops)

Invertebrates
79. Metric paper wasp (Polistes metricus)
80. Fraternal potter wasp (Eumenes fraternus)
81. Five-spotted hawk moth (Manduca quinquemaculatus)
82. Chickweed geometer moth (Haematopis grataria)
83. Black-bordered lemon moth (Marimatha nigrofimbria)
84. Common gray (Anavitrinella pampinaria)
85. Stenolophus comma
86. Spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata)
87. Goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus)
88. Striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum)
89. Bristly cutworm moth (Lacinipolia renigera)
90. Corn earworm moth (Helicoverpa zea)
91. Hagen’s sphinx (Ceratomia hageni)
92. White-banded crab spider (Misumenoides formosipes)
93. Obscure bird grasshopper (Schistocerca obscura)
 
12) Leopard Seal Hydrurga leptonyx


This animal turned up in Wellington yesterday morning and stayed the whole day on the beach at Oriental Bay (in the city, just along from the main waterfront). I only found out about it that evening when at home, because it was one of those days where I hadn't bothered to check the local Facebook page for marine mammal sightings (the interesting animals only turn up on the days I don't check it).

I contemplated taking my camera to the beach this morning before work but Leopard Seals rarely stay anywhere more than one day, and in the morning it was pelting down with freezing rain, so I skipped it. At the end of the day before leaving work I checked the Facebook page - the seal was still there and had been all day.

It's an easy location to stop off at, so I did so and watched the seal for a while. They are awkward-looking animals, really not made for being on land. I might try tomorrow morning for some photos but I think it will probably be gone by then.

This is the fourth wild Leopard Seal I've seen. The first was in Christchurch in 2008 (the only one of the four of which I got photos), and the next two were in Wellington, in 2018 and 2019. The 2019 one was also in Oriental Bay although that one was in July (which is mid-winter in New Zealand) so when I stopped off to see it after work I was looking at it in the dark.
 
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